When interior designer Paige Geffen moved into a one-bedroom rental in Echo Park, Los Angeles, she faced a common design challenge: a challenging layout.
The one-bedroom 500-square-foot bungalow, built in 1965, has a kitchen, living, and dining room all in one space. “There was a lot of problem solving involved,” Paige says. “The placement of the windows drove me insane. The sofa could not be centered between the windows because of the layout.” Paige, who worked as a prop stylist before starting her interior design business, found solutions by creating transitions between each area with artwork, furniture, and rugs.
Renters—listen closely: “I really believe that you can change an entire room and make anything work with proper styling. You can rearrange the balance and reimagine the look and feel of any space.” Here’s how she did it.
Photography by Bethany Nauert and Lauren Moore courtesy of Paige Geffen.
![“i already owned most of the furniture before i moved in, so the design 17](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/paige-geffen-clinton-street-1-733x1081.jpg)
![paige created an l shaped living area with a vintage sideboard and a söder 18](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/paige-geffen-clinton-street-2-733x489.jpg)
![paige created a small dining area in a corner, with an oak common table ii 19](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/paige-geffen-clinton-street-3-733x491.jpg)
![paige in the dining area. 20](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/paige-geffen-clinton-street-4-733x1100.jpg)
![a \1960s italian pace collection chair (“i found it in a thrift store fo 21](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/paige-geffen-clinton-street-5-733x515.jpg)
![a console table from urban outfitters (no longer available) holds baskets and a 22](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/paige-geffen-clinton-street-6-733x1100.jpg)
![in the kitchen, paige switched out an existing light fixture for the terra 23](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/paige-geffen-clinton-street-7-733x489.jpg)
![paige had shelves custom built by fabricator lee golde with cast iron indu 24](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/paige-geffen-clinton-street-8-733x1100.jpg)
![paige tacked unframed drawings, found at the rose bowl flea market, to the wall 25](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/paige-geffen-clinton-street-9-733x1100.jpg)
![in the bedroom, paige installed flat roman shades in ivory linen from the 26](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/paige-geffen-clinton-street-10-733x511.jpg)
![for extra closet storage, paige installed a brass towel bar from schoolhouse el 27](https://media.remodelista.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/07/paige-geffen-clinton-street-12-733x488.jpg)
Paige is an expert at sourcing vintage. Her favorite sources: The Rose Bowl (“I always get there at 6am”), Grain and Dekor in Atwater Village, and Den Møbler for midcentury. Thanks to Paige for sharing. You can find more from Paige on Instagram @paigegeffen.
For more Los Angeles homes see our posts:
- Midcentury Modern Mashup: At Home with a Rising Design Star in LA
- House Call: Gallerist Lisa Overduin’s Artful Apartment in Los Angeles
- The Bohemian Life: Designer Lauren Soloff at Home in LA
- A Minimalist LA Jewelry Designer Goes Maximal
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